Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Starting work at 10 pm always make me feel alive...like a resting badger that wants to tear off someone's face when woken up. Work is work.

You'll never guess what show was in town. Very lackluster turn out compared to how much people talk about this show. Every foodie in the audience had a hard on ready to blog about some stupid gastrique sauce they tasted and how they know more than the chefs competing.

Headed over to the Chicago Urban Arts Society space to check out the massive installation/show for street art which of course was packed to the brim...at fucking 10:00 when the show was supposed to end. Filled with people who like foodies had a hard on ready to talk shit, spit knowledge, or just be seen at this show. I felt like there was a lot of tension at this show as all kinds of people from graffiti writers, artists, shitheads, wannabes, toys, and scenesters all congregate ready for whatever to look cool.

Not to take away from the show, there was some stellar fucking work and the overall look/feel of the space was very well utilized as shown by this massive installation from Chris Silva, Brooks Golden, Thor, and many others would be a force to be reckoned with.

Complete with a moving framed home.

Hebru Brantley. Dude's work has a certain feel that is unexplainable. You just know you like it.

You Are Beautiful collective. You may remember this from the massive downtown installation a few years back. Fucking sick.

Been a fan of the Grocer's work for years. It's always enlightening to see his work and attention to detail. Never has a group of vegetables and fruit looked so "urban." Seeing his work on the streets made me happy because it really stands out and makes me want to eat a giant grapefruit.

So it was packed the whole time I was there and almost everyone I spoke to was part of the show or had a hand in setting up the show, which made me think 90% of the audience that was there were artists in the show. Throw in the occasional drunks and fellow art enthusiasts and you have yourself a successful show! Look at the creeper in the corner of the picture, ready to pounce on free wine any minute.

Had a very long night with some unforseen drama that I do not want to discuss, however it involved a broom, paint, a lot of water and a car. So headed up to Milwaukee for a friend's 30th birthday party at what can be the dumbest name for a sushi place ever.

Its a shame too, because the food and restaurant was really really good. The fish tasted fresh, service was on point and the interior was sleek and clean.

Here is the birthday girl doing her best impression of a flapping seal djing.

Here is an actual seal djing.

The motif of the place was Buddha, Buddha, and more Buddha. It was probably pretty sacrilegious of me to keep placing my drink on the hand.

You can never beat a good mustache opportunity, except when the mustache looks almost natural on a person, then the joke isn't as good. I should have stuck to the plan of turning him into a dickface.

May = Graduations from College. Getting all grown up and shit. Tarin's graduation party would turn out to be one rockin good time complete with a Bull's playoff win.

R.I.P hopefully he's in carpet heaven. Not the lesbian kind, but the kind of place where the whole place is a bare floor.

So here's the grad proudly showing off her random board of knick knacks and cool stickers, cards, and accessories. This would soon take a turn...for the good.

So sometime between 3 and 8pm, a lot of alcohol was consumed by all admittedly but in pure celebration form, Tarin would put us alllllll to shame.

Here she is chugging a cup of vodka...I kid. It was her own urine. I wish I had more sense to capture more pictures and video. Pure comedy gold. I love happy drunks who can roll with the good times and just be funny. Tarin handled it like a champ. Celebration bitches!

Here's her dog Bear wondering what "rosemary in your face, thats your best friend" means. As Tarin kept repeating this over and over and turned into "I shit on your face, thats your best friend." Comedy gold, like I said.

It's no mystery that I like/love beer. I also have gracious friends and colleagues have even more love for beer and know how to share as this bottle direct from Belgium proves. Apparently hard to obtain and a lot of hype built around it, I just hope it tastes good.

The week was a blast despite a couple of hiccups over the weekend that could have ruined my week. Fuck you to the haters and retards that do childish things. Karma is a bitch.

On the other hand, huge thanks go out to Tarin's BF Jesse for cooking an amazing spread at the graduation party and then letting us hang out long after guests left the party with his better half passed out on the floor. It was a great time. I'll be dreaming about the pork shoulder for a few more days.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Started the week with a Stone Brewing cheese pairing over at Blokes and Birds. A cool, chic pub located in one of the douchiest neighborhoods, so this place definitely stands out.

The owner, Daily Webb keeps a nice stock of brown liquors of all kinds to wet your whistle going in or coming back out later. There is also a nice array of solid beers on tap and in bottles to keep your head ringin.

The cheese pairing was held downstairs which houses a more loungy, cozy atmosphere complete with barely any light. I had to get the only two candles lit in the whole building to snap this 2008 Russian Imperial Stout. It was a solid tasting complete with a professional fromagelist. It was quite rich and delicious, but you can never get away from that one cheese that just smells like your grandmother's toe jam, but tastes delicious.

I'm glad this whole space is being utilized to its fullest potential instead of what it used to be, which was an ex raver, mish mosh of random shit and weird dungeon parties for the downstairs...not that I've been to any of them. I just heard.

After seeing Tony, peeing in an alley, walking 4 miles, and having a couple of beers, I went to check out the fine folks over at Xmarx Chicago for their limited run pop up flour and bones dinner.

Abe Conlon, the mastermind behind Xmarx is a fucking psycho for the most part and sometimes he double books. It can never be a bad thing when so many people come out looking forward to eating your food. What does suck is not having a light over the line.

There was a separate pop up flour and bones dinner along with the signature Xmarx dinner where two distinct ethnic food styles are sort of slammed together. Imagine interracial one night stands, but instead of Gonnorhea, you get awesome food you never have to call back or marry.

I was here for the strictly Chinese inspired items as the military inspired font menu suggests. I started with the jump water pickles. Delicious - some of the pickles were more "pickly" than others but good enough for me to have eaten the whole bowl within six minutes. I love a good pickle in my mouth.

Here is chef Abe in one the girliest poses I've ever seen schmoozing with guests from the other dinner. It looks like he's saying "uh uhhhhhhhhhh, gurrrrrrrrrllllllllll, no he didnt!"

These hand dumplings were fucking fantastic. I don't know what it is about dumplings, pierogis, pot stickers, but I seriously can eat a shit load in one sitting. It's almost the perfect food complete with a starch component, protein, and vegetable. This plate wasn't enough, I would have punched an old Chinese waiter for more of these.

On top of the food, there was a solid cocktail list complete with a drink that is topped off with red wine in case you didn't feel gay enough for ordering something with the word fruit and sour.

The smoked tofu with trumpet mushrooms was damn good. The mushrooms were really meaty and anything infused with smoke that is salty will always going to be a good way to go.

The brothy home made noodle bowl was fanfuckingtastic. It had all the essentials - perfect noodles, pork belly, scallions, and a rich earthy broth. It's really refreshing to taste something authentic. I was by myself and yes I did eat everything on my own...don't judge me.

Yes, Shepard Fairey was in town and got dissed like a mofo.

I introduce to you, the new Lincoln Park.

Got invited to a friend's 30th bday party (Ryan, is in the last post about to toss someone's salad with pepto). The theme was a 5 course vegetarian/pescatarian beer pairing dinner all prepared by his GF Allison.

This was paired with the mussels which was fantastic with the food. I plan on drinking a lot of sour beer this summer.

This was also another notable beer with the cheese cake that was rich and capped the dinner off right. Nothing says grown up like a 5 course beer pairing dinner. Gone are the days of keggers, hot dogs, and puking.... now its craft beer, good food, and solid conversation about missing keggers, hot dogs, and puking. Zima anyone?

Full and merry from the dinner, I almost forgot that I had to paint at the Mid for the Afrika Bambaata show. Shred One, workin up the crowd and making me realize that I suck at DJing.

The vibe was really really good for the rather new venue complete with shiny everything and well dressed security staff. It was a fucking party like the old hip hop loft party days.

Here's Demon painting his period stain from last month.

Derek, painting what he wants to look like when he grows up.

Here's my "heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" bird thing. I love painting on stage because despite how crowded it was getting in the venue, I had all the space in the world and no one asking me questions about what the hell I'm painting.

Maker watching porn and pretending to mix.

Intel twerkin the crowd.

1:18 am and its time for Bam to get on stage...I had work in the morn so I just took a random photo of him for this blog and left. This Friday was one of the longest days in a while, so I opted to for some porn at home and sleep, because Saturday would be another long one.

After my shit day at work complete with being late because of a malfunctioning bus, I was excited to see what Matthew Ryan Sharp had cooking for his solo show at Oh No Doom! Judging from these three solid pieces, it was starting off well.

And continued on with all new works and quite the variety from paintings, flasks, plushes, and even free popcorn, cotton candy and whiskey shots if you asked nice, which I didn't.

Here's Matt, wearing the same clothes from his one time appearance on To Catch a Predator.

These raw canvas banners all done with paint and one shot were some of my favorites. A lot of detail and craft definitely comes through on these paintings. Well done Matt. Stop making us look bad, dick.

The party continued over at what used be Janina's in the city's Northwest side by Addison and Milwaukee ave. The once er...semi vibrant bar housed the best in old school Chicagoans and drunks. Dionele threw a party/engagement surprise party for a long time friend.

This is a drinker's dream come true to have access to all of the booze one can drink for free. Whoever that was invited but didn't make it, missed out yo!!! I won't lie, I did drink a lot. I won't lie, I made out with someone here a few times as well.

These are all shots of the bar at 3:00 am after everyone left because...some were drinking since 5:30pm and things may have gotten a little weird and rude.

But, everything ended up great because there was an open pit fire! You can burn stuff!

Best pee mat ever.

This was a long fucking week and we are already getting into the middle of May! I have a lot of people to thank for this week because it was a great week of activities and fun for me. Pat (Cold Grum Productions), Allison Duda, Ryan Burk, Dionele, Matt Sharp, Daily Webb, Abe, Adrienne, my moms, Oh No Doom! and Mothafuckin Tony the Tiger yo.